Running for Home
by Maye1
Summary: Right after Love, Daisies, and Troubadours. What if we found out that Dean wasn't as loving of Rory as we thought he was? Read to find out more.
1. The Bet

TITLE: Running for Home  
DISCLAIMER: None of this belongs to me. Though I do wish Tristan did ;o)  
SETTING: Right after Rory and Dean make up in Love, Daisies and Troubadours  
PAIRING: RORY/TRISTAN ALL THE WAY!  
  
CUT TO CHILTON  
  
Tristan layed down her books and walked away with a pained look in his eyes. Rory Gilmore, the only girl he had ever truly loved was now gone. She hated him now, and although he knew that he had deserved it for the way he treated her, it still pained him to hear those words come out of her mouth. Especially while she was talking to Dean.  
"Mr. DuGray? Is there a problem?" Tristan looked up and saw that he had bumped into Mr. Medina, scattering his papers all over the hallway.  
"Oh, Mr. Medina. No, there is no problem, did you need some help?" Tristan asked as he bent down and picked up all the papers that could fit in his hand and handed them to Mr. Medina.  
"Thank you, Tristan." Mr. Medina saw the hurt look in Tristan's eyes. "Are you sure everything is alright? I mean..if you need someone to talk to, I'm right here."  
"I'm fine, thanks." Tristan said as he was walking out the front door and taking his keys out of his pocket. He now saw Rory sitting on a bench, crying. He was about to walk away from her, as she approached him.  
"It was all a bet. He bet his friends that he could get me to say I love him." Rory started to cry even harder now. "Tristan, I know what I said to Dean out there was inappropriate, but it was completely spur of the moment. I know this is really stupid to ask, but could you please give me a ride home?"  
"Why should I? You hate me, right? Why don't you call your Grandparents or your Mother. Why me?" Tristan looked at Rory when he said it. He made it have so much feeling, like every word meant something.br  
"I don't want to tell my Mother yet. My Grandparents are out of town, and even if they weren't, I wouldn't be able to call them. I wouldn't be able to explain it."  
"Fine, I'll drive you home, Rory, follow me, I'll take you to the car." Tristan started walking down the stairs again, this time, he had his trademark smirk on his face.  
  
CUT TO LORELAI & RORY'S HOUSE  
  
Tristan pulled up the driveway and put the car in park. It was such a silent car ride, Rory almost didn't want to ruin it by talking.  
"Well, thank you, Tristan. This was really nice of you, and I'm sorry I put you out so much." Rory said as she was unbuckling her seat-belt and getting out of the car.  
"No problem at all, Mary. Just remember, now you owe me" Tristan said, and at that, he sped out of the driveway and down the road back to Hartford.  
Rory walked into her house, and plopped her heavy bookbag onto the floor. She started a fresh batch of coffee when she heard her Mother walk in the door.  
"Rory! I'm home!" Lorelai yelled as she was standing in the middle of the doorway reading her mail.  
"Oh, Mom! I was waiting for you. I had the worst day today, and Tristan saw me cry." Rory said as she pulled her Mother in for a hug.  
"Oh, honey. Are you sure Tristan didn't just see you cry? Did he MAKE you cry?" Lorelai asked while thinking of several ways to kill Tristan without anyone noticing.  
"No, Mom, it wasn't Tristan who made me cry," Rory's voice started to break "Dean did." Rory was now crying in her Mother's arms now.  
"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. Wait, when did you see Dean?" Lorelai knew that Dean didn't wait for Rory by the bus anymore, so she didn't know where she could have seen him.  
"He came to my school, and stood outside looking beautiful while I was fighting with Tristan about him stealing my books. I walked up to him, and I told him that I love him. When Tristan left, he announced that it had all been a bet. His friend bet him that he couldn't get me to say that I love him. Then I found Tristan on the stairs going to his car, and I asked him for a ride, and even though I said that I hated him, he gave me one. Now I'm here, and.." Lorelai just stood there shocked.  
"Oh, sweetie." Lorelai lead Rory to the couch and sat down herself.  
"I'm so glad that Tristan was there or else I would still be sitting on the bench waiting for someone." Rory said, quite quickly.  
"I'm so glad Tristan got over himself and realized that you are beautiful and wonderful and that he should give you a ride home." Lorelai replied, smiling.  
  
CUT TO TRISTAN'S ROOM  
  
Tristan had been sitting on his bed all day after he dropped off Rory. Wondering how Dean could make someone so beautiful cry and not feel bad at all. Wondering why Rory asked him, of all people for a ride. She could have even gotten one from Mr. Medina; he WAS dating her Mother and all. He wondered if something was behind it, or was it just plain timing? He stopped thinking of all this when he heard the phone ring.  
"Hello?" Tristan said into the phone reciever.  
"Hello, Tristan? It's me, Rory."  
"Oh, hey, call to tell me that you hate me again, Mary?" Tristan replied with a smirk on his face.  
"No, I called to say thank you again, and to ask if you were busy tonight?"  
"Well, Rory, it just so happens that I am completely free tonight." Tristan said smugly.  
"Oh, well, my Mother and I were just wondering if you wanted to come out to dinner with us, and then maybe stop over to the Hartford carnival. Just as a thank you or something...." Rory said, thinking about how surprising it was that Tristan wasn't out with one of his ditzy girls tonight.  
"Yeah..uh, sure." Tristan said, somewhat shocked that Rory was inviting HIM to go somewhere with her.  
"Alright, then, we'll pick you up at 5:30, is that ok?"  
"Yep, just fine." Tristan replied, still shocked.  
"OKAY! See you soon, bye, Tristan."  



	2. Marcia or Jan?

TITLE: Running for Home  
DISCLAIMER: None of this belongs to me. Though I do wish Tristan did ;o)  
SETTING: Right after Rory and Dean make up in Love, Daisies and Troubadours  
PAIRING: RORY/TRISTAN ALL THE WAY!  
  
CUT TO CARNIVAL  
  
"So, Tristan, who do you like better, Marcia or Jan?" Lorelai asked smiling in his direction. The conversation about which Brady was better had been going on since they got in the car from the resturant.  
"Umm, I kinda like Marcia, actually..." Tristan said, fearing what Rory would have to say to him after that statement.  
"WHAT? Marcia was so STUCK-UP! Jan was always so nice to everyone." Rory had her finger in his face, she was desperately trying to get him to be on her side. She did bet refrigerator duty for a month to prove that Jan was better.  
"Jan was always so...insecure about everything."  
"SHE WAS JEALOUS! Who wouldn't be?! Marcia was such an attention hogger, she never got any attention at all!" Rory said, once again placing her finger in front of Tristan's face.  
"Fine, Rory, you have reeled me into your way of thinking, Jan is better." Tristan just wanted to make Rory happy.  
"HAH! I TOLD you Jan was better." Rory said, now pointing her small finger in her Mother's direction.  
"Sure, sweets, whatever you say." It was apparent to Lorelai that Tristan had just said that so that Rory would be happy, so she played along. Even if it meant cleaning out the refrigerator for a MONTH.  
"Now, then, who wants to argue Peter or Greg?" Rory asked flashing a smile to Tristan, then turning over to her Mom.  
"How about we just go on some rides?" Tristan asked, wanting more than anything to stop debating on Brady Bunch characters.  
"Ferris Wheel or Tilt-a-Whirl?" Rory said, asking for another debate.  
"Not this again, PLEASE!" Tristan begged.  
  
CUT TO TRISTAN'S HOUSE  
  
Rory pulled up the winding driveway to Tristan's lavish mansion, and put the car in park. "Well, here we are."  
"Yep, well, thanks for the great time. We'll have to do it again." Tristan said as he was climbing out of the car, and making way for Lorelai to jump in the front.  
"Yes, we will. Goodbye, Tristan. I'll call you." Rory had never expected those words to come out of her mouth. To Tristan at least.  
Tristan smiled. "Thanks again, Rory, Lorelai."  
"No problem, Tristan." Lorelai said while she was climbing into the front seat.  
  
CUT TO THE ROAD  
  
"Hey, Mom?" Rory asked  
"Yeah?"  
"Do you think that maybe Tristan could come to dinner with us Friday?"  
"You want him to come to the Grandparents' house?"  
"Yeah, I do. I think they would really like him."  
"Oh, well, we'll see what Tristan wants to do."  
"All right, thanks for considering it."  
"No problem. Uh, honey?"  
"Yeah, Mom?"  
"Can I ask you a question?"  
"Sure."  
"Do you like Tristan?"  
"What kind of like?"  
"Boyfriend."  
"No."  
"Are you sure?"  
"YES! I'm sure."  
"Are you sure you're sure?"  
"Why are you asking?"  
"You never wanted Dean to come."  
"Oh.."  
"Well, do you like him?"  
"NO! That's final!"  
"All right.."  
"Well, then, since that's settled, I think I'll call Tristan when we get home to ask him."  
"Out on a date?"  
"MOM!" 


End file.
